Dragon Talons (Indigo Apocalypse Book I)

Chapter Thirty: We Create The δράκους ήλιο Northern Lights

SYDNEY:
    The last of the citizens went through a hidden doorway, only accessible by Decre and Qudorzo, only two dracons together could stick their talons into the marble, and pull aside the wall to show the staircase that went hundreds of feet below the lowest level of the castle, and enter the bunker where the whole of the kingdom would be safe. I watched, holding Huntor's hand, as Decre and Qudorzo carefully settled the huge marble wall back in place. They had arrived and hour and a half ago, leaving us with just enough time to evacuate the last of the citizens. Telling them, was, the biggest problem. When Veevuqui and the other royals called an emergency meeting, the advisors were obviously flabbergasted and angry, though there were those who supported the queen and knew all along. And those were sent to the dungeons. But, as the citizens were taken from their homes, Huntor argued with Veevuqui. "You have to go down there." "No, freezing dragon dung no. This was our mother, and we're fighting her, fighting the Ragni—"Veevuqui." Huntor said her name so gently, so sweetly, that her protests faded off her tongue. "You were an ass to me, clever and cruel, but, all through that, I wanted you as my sister. All through that, I wanted to be family, to all of you." He gestured to them all. "But I'm not. The queen created me, for the soul purpose of waking the Dark Queen. As Dargonue created Sydney to host the queen. We can save the worlds, save today, but when our work is done, when it's safe, we need you all, to save tomorrow." Tears fell down Veevuqui's face, and, though it seemed like a great tremendous effort, she made eye contact with Huntor. "I'm sorry," She choked out. "I'm so sorry, for everything I did to you." "As am I." Reequo said. Then the others were coming forward, and hugging Huntor, as if they'd never see him again. "Take care of this kingdom for me. I intend on returning after this is all over." Veevuqui wiped away tears and smiled. "I hope so." She said. "Go," Huntor said. "We'll save the world, we'll save today, you all save tomorrow. Don't die." He gave Veevuqui that wolfish smile. She smiled back, and they were gone, traveling down the stairs and out of sight.
    Now, half an hour before the legion arrived, we were setting the ends of the plan into place. Qudorzo set up the most exhausted and injured down into the bunker with the kingdom, in hopes that they'd get the healing they needed and to keep them out of the thick of it. With careful planning done, Huntor set the indigos into place. Joy and Luna were hidden in the castle grounds, facing the main entrance. Since Huntor and Qudorzo both believed that they'd enter the capital through the main gates, Huntor decided to loll the Ragni into a state of complacency, letting them believe we not only were prepared, but had no true army to fight them. Hidden in the city were traps though, traps, pitfalls, literally, pits hidden away, when stepped on wrong, the spiders would fall on a bed of spikes, or be burned alive, thanks to Seeka, Theia, and Wenzi. Tripwires that caused waves of fire, spears of ice daggers, swarming flames that burned them alive, and conveniently sent up red flags, letting everyone know where they were. Also hidden in the city, were Wenzi and Sarah, powers fully ready to devour. Seeka and Theia were also in the city, waiting on high rooftops, along with the other elemental dracons, the ones who fought with us on the seas. But the real battle, Huntor thought, would be here, behind the castle. That's where we were, Huntor, I, Briella, Kitana, and Zavala. We, along with Decre, Quedesha, Pheequa, Qudorzo, and several others were hidden on the castle's parapets, watching the dark skies, watching the dark lands between the castle's back gates, and the rest of the kingdom, which, Qudorzo said was nothing but flatlands and grassy plains that lead into the rest of the Indigo main island. Huntor made the analogy that the Indigo island was another version of the once great island Pangea, the island that housed the first of the dinosaurs, great terrible lizzards and monsters of the past. Those were Briella's words, not Huntor's.
    The darkness seemed to press in, and, as it did, I felt the clock ticking down. As if it were a heartbeat in a corner of my mind, a corner that was linked with Huntor by the renewed mating bond. The burning inferno between us was another light in the darkness, giving me hope and confidence that I had to hide behind a mask of serious calm. Someone had to at least seem like they were serious. Huntor, who stood a few feet away, grinned like a wolf, his elongated fangs showing in the darkness, his sapphire eye glowed, the fins on his wrists danced with hidden light. Another fin, four feet long, curved from his spine, serrated, just like those on his arms, though the one on his back seemed more for swimming than actual combat. My own diamond black fins were out, and I had my talons out, black hair dancing in the wind. Huntor reached into a pocket, and brought out the glasses. He stared at them, as if he was sad that he couldn't use them. Then, he slid them away, and flicked his fingers, his talons shooting out. "Five minutes." I said, feeling the oncoming doom raging toward the castle at our backs. My voice was barely a whisper, but rang out like a bell. High above, I could see Qudorzo clearly, and he nodded. His tail twitched, and, far below, a tail twitched. All over the castle, the message was received and reciprocated. Soon, I saw Kitana, a dark speck in the shadows, fade away, to continue the message. "I use to hate playing telephone." Huntor thought. "What?" I asked. "Oh sweet dearest Syd, you need to know of all the kid games." Huntor thought in a mutter, then, "Telephone is where you either sit or stand in a line, someone taps your shoulder a certain period of times, or, in a certain order, say two taps, a pause, then three taps, and they have to reciprocate the message. Usually someone messes up and you have to start over, and the one who messed up is out." "Uh-huh, interesting." I said slowly. Huntor sighed, "We just played it, but we'll do it again when we get home." My stomach flipped in happiness. "When, we, get home." Then, I felt them, felt them, as minutes turned down to seconds. "Ten seconds." Huntor murmured. Again, the message was sent, this time, a turn of the head. And again, Kitana faded into shadows. Then, a female voice, a few feet away, "Mind if we join in?" Amala and Kamala, who were inside, slid out with expert quiet, their claws and fangs out. Huntor didn't even move, nor did I. We had heard their approach, even though they barely made a sound. Huntor gestured to the spot where Kitana appeared, indicating they take positions from her. Amala and Kamala jumped with ease, their bare feet silent as they made their way to Kitana. Then, "They're here." Huntor and I murmured in unison. Far far behind us, we felt their appearance, felt the portal open, unleashing the hoard right at the entrance to the capital. But I waited, as did Huntor, as did Kitana, as did every dracon in hiding. Behind us, sounds of the spiders could be heard in the quiet capital, their screeching, they're cries of surprise and fury as they fell into our traps. There was a dragon roar, then another. Zavala, who waited on Huntor's other side, tensed, but he barely whispered, "Steady ZZ, steady." She relaxed, her turquoise eyes glowed faintly.
    Far far far ahead, a portal exploded into existence. "Steady." Huntor commanded. Again, the message was received and reciprocated. Qudorzo, to Decre, to Kitana, to Amala, to Kamala, down and over the grounds. Then, Kitana vanished into shadows. I stared at the grasslands, and, lowered my gaze, seeing with indigoism, the power that fueled this world. I saw the spiders, saw them running for us, their many legs clawing dust, sending it into the air as they sped. Each spider was like a black ant in a golden haze. But further behind them, I saw her. The Snow Queen, and, Dargonue. They ran, now in black armor that glinted in my sight. "They're here." Huntor murmured. Dracons stayed in their spots, hiding so expertly I wondered if anyone out there would even see it. Then, the first warriors moved. Kitana faded into shadows, and took two dracon warriors into the grasslands. Again, again, again, again, dracons vanished and appeared in the lands, until a solid wall stood between the spiders and the castle's back entrance. I saw the queen share a look with Dargonue, before they pressed ahead, moving through their army until they stood in front, their hands moving. "Archers." Qudorzo said in barely a whisper. Arrows, flaming arrows, flew from the highest towers, and rained down on to the spiders. But the arrows weren't aimed for the spiders. No, they were aimed for tripwires hidden in the ground. An arrow hit a spider anyway, and it shrieked as it was engulfed in flames. Then, they panicked. As their lines becamed jumbled and they started trampling each other in a pell-mell panic, there was a huge burst of fire, and a long swarm of spiders were blown to pieces, then engulfed by fire. As they truly panicked now, the dracons surged forward, neat rows of lines that marched quickly. Zavala twitched impatiently. "Steady Zeej." Huntor said. "Archers." Qudorzo murmured again. Another wave of arrows flew overhead, now aiming for spiders in those jumbled lines. Bedlam rolled oveer the Ragni Di Morte like an oncoming tide. The two armies struck with the sound of thunder, and I saw Amala and Kamala shift and start ravishing the spiders, ripping into them with claws and fangs. They tore into the Ragni Di Morte, their coats turning milk white from the blood. The warriors closed around the spiders like, like, well, like the Ragni's own pincers. Bringing them together, then crushing them. I saw Kitana slide into shadows, then appeared behind a writhing teeming mass of them, and unleash a cloud of darkness. Spiders screamed, and fell, lifeless, to the ground. Dargonue and the queen looked about, but didn't see Death's lieutenant as she vanished into shadows yet again. The queen suddenly jumped, and her wings opened with a wicked blast of air, as if an oncoming storm. Then they both were flying, her arms holding him up, as they flew over the fighting armies. Then, they landed on the castle's grounds.
"It's time." I heard Qudorzo murmur, then he was in the air, Quedesha and Pheequa in flight behind him. They soared over the towers, making a big show of flying around the towers, as if they flew in from the battle in the capital. "QUDORZO." The queen shouted. "Come out, WE KNOW YOU'RE BEHIND THIS RESISTANCE." On queue, Qudorzo and the others landed, twenty feet from Dargonue and the queen. Kitana appeared by my side and whispered. The battle is going smoothly, they haven't reached the castle gates, and are struggling to get passed the fire breathers and Sarah's ice lances." Huntor gave a barely interpretable nod and Kitana vanished yet again. Meanwhile, down below, the queen said, "Surrender, this is my kingdom, and you all can not take it from me." "You have betrayed your people, broken the very laws your mother created thousands of years ago. We will overthrow you, if you don't relinquish your grip on the kingdom, go in peace, and take these monsters with you, we, will, fight, you, and, destroy, you." Dargonue laughed. "With what army? We have the numbers, we have the strength, even now, the Ragni Di Morte are sacking the city and surrounding grounds. No one will survive, naturally, and the Kingdom will belong to the Dark Queen. You have no standing grounds boyo." Qudorzo flashed his fangs in a smile, but it was Pheequa who laughed and said, "You think you the dragon dung? You think you have the dragon talons? We've outsmarted you both. Your army is even now, dying, dying, by the Molten dragons, the, Molten, Princesses, Theia, and, Seeka." Dargonue's smug smile faded, and fury filled his face. "What?" He snapped. Quedesha nodded sagely. "Exactly, not to mention the IndoDragon Wenzi, and her other side of that coin, Sarah." This time, the queen's face paled. "No, no no no no no. They were dead, both of them were dead." "Maybe you should check your kills before you deem them dead." Qudorzo said in a bored voice. "The citizens of the kingdom." She said suddenly. "Where are they?" "They're where they can be safe." Pheequa said in a snarky tone. Apparently, she'd been taking lessons from Sarah.
    Dargonue smiled viciously, "We'll end you, end you all. Do you see who we are? We are blessed by the Dark Queen, we have powers only you near immortals can ever dream of." "Get ready." Huntor murmured in a voice, barely audible. Zavala's eyes glowed fearlessly in the darkness, two turquoise lamps in a sea of darkness. Then, she began to strip out of her armor. Then, naked as a newborn, she transformed into her dragon skin. Turquoise scales grew along her body, her talons lengthened, and her fangs elongated. She landed on all fours and breathed deeply. I felt her desire, felt her need to roar in challenge, roar, just like Camille had done in front of our ships, a roar of triumph, defiance, and challenge. Instead, Zavala just waited, her eyes on the face-off down below. A dragon's roar echoed from behind us, and an explosion rocked the grounds. The queen stared above, her turquoise eyes going straight above the towers, as if seeing the battle beyond the castle. Behind the queen and Dargonue, the battle still raged, dracons and spiders fighting an endless, ageless battle of light against dark. The two wolves, Amala and Kamala, raged through the creatures, snapping their jaws and sinking their claws into weak points, leaving them vulnerable for the dracons to claim. "It's over." Qudorzo said. "It's not over until the Dark Queen claims the worlds." Dargonue snarled. He threw up his arms, and, brought, them, down. The world shook, a huge quake that made everyone topple. Qudorzo and the others opened their wings, balancing themselves. High above, I saw Decre and the others steady themselves on the parapets and towers. Dargonue breathed heavily, and his arms seemed to shake, as if he were struggling with a great weight. "Now." Huntor thought, a thought meant for me. I walked over to him, my obsidian black armor changing, changing, as my eyes began to glow. "Not yet." He soothed. "Not yet. Not yet my love." I cooled that new power, that golden power, that golden power that shimmered, shimmered like a never-ending rainbow. I climbed on to Zavala's back, and he climbed on behind me. Before she took off, I turned, and, wrapped my arms around his neck. A wave of dominance overcame my senses. Never again, never again would I be that weak defenseless girl. Never again would I struggle at night to sleep, terrified of the dark. Never again, would I dream of demons and monsters, never would I fear being penetrated by men who I never knew. Never again, I, was, the light, I, and my mate, we, were, the, light, and, we'd bring light, to, the, dark. I kissed Huntor, my forked tongue, the only thing about me that would forever remain dragon, shoved into his mouth, and closed over his powerfully, squeezing it, demanding his dominance, demanding he return the furor, the passion. He reached between us, even as black scales began to erupt all over me, even as those scales appeared, he squeezed both my breasts, hard, promising passion, promising he'd stay with me, that we'd bring light to the darkness. I pulled away, and no words were spoken, no words were thought. We simply were, we, felt. I was the one who tapped Zavala's side. She opened her wings, and, all along the castle, every dracon in hiding, opened their own wings. Together, we flew up, and, down. Everyone, except Zavala. No, she just tipped over the edge, and fell, not needing to jump or flap up.
    Wind tore at my hair, but instead of fear, a kind of dauntless powerful pleasure overcame me, filling me with lust for flight. The air, the air was where I belonged, was where, we, belonged. Zavala made a sharp turn that had roars rising, that made the battle cry of the dragon bellow in my belly. The queen and king both looked up, and saw us. Dargonue's concentration failed him as he watched the new army flying into view, saw them land, and, saw, us, saw, me. I gave him a feral smile as Zavala flapped once, and dove. Her roar, the very roar she wanted to unleash before, echoed through my blood, and caused us both, Huntor and Sydney, the Sun Dragons, to roar. A roar of challenge, a roar that was announced all through out the lands, all through out the worlds. It echoed through the indigo mainland, and right to the planet Earth, every indigo, monster, demon, beast, insect, and human looked toward the sky. Each of them hearing it, feeling it, a roar of promise, a roar that would challenge the darkness. "We are the light, we, will, fight the darkness, we, will, keep balance." Back at the Symbol, people looked around, and Camille and Leia looked up, Arachne standing with them, dressed in a set of black pants and shirt, her feet bare. "Sun Dragons." Arachne whispered. "Huntor and Sydney." Camille whispered. Far away, on a mysterious ape island surrounded by stormy seas, a legend beyond legends rose on a high rocky cliff, his long brown hair flowing behind him, his glacier blue eyes shown in the darkness. A lioness stood by his side, her golden eyes glowing with feral pride. She was smaller than her sister, smaller than the legend's mate, but was connected with her sister, connected as the legend was to his mate. He was bare to the skin, bare, except for a glittering necklace around his neck, a necklace, with a bow and trident symbol on it. He touched her shoulder, a sign between them. "Our leader is back, and, is challenging the demons of the night." The lioness roared her challenge. The legend beyond legends declared, "WE FIGHT ALONG SIDE YOU." He beat his chest and roared his own battle cry. All around him, apes of huge proportions leaped on to the craggy cliff, beating their chests and roaring their own challenge. Further away, on a island in the middle of a foggy sea, surrounded by horrors and legends, rose a temple being constructed by monsters and demons, by shadows of darkness. A boy stood on a precipice, his depthless black eyes unholy, and fixed on the stormy horizon miles away, as if he could see where that roar had originated from. "Come to me then," His voice was high and cold, too high for a boy. "Come, and, meet your end." The boy stood on that precipice, and, smiled. His smile was horrifying, a dark thing that held no promise, no beauty, nothing but feral ugliness. He commanded, "Ready the troops, the first wave, needs to sail soon." Shadowy figures moved quickly, away from the boy, his depthless dark eyes unholy. Then, he started transforming, growing larger, larger, larger, until he was a huge black spider, until, he, was, the, Dark, Queen.
    We landed in front of them, and Dargonue's face was pale, as pale as mine. The queen backed away, seeing us in our glory. We jumped off Zavala's back, and landed together, our hands clasped. I stood on his right, and Zavala crept to his left, her eyes glowing. "Impossible." Dargonue snarled. "There haven't been Draghi Del Sole for thousands of years." "And now." We said together. "There are two, two sun dragons, to combat the Dark Queen." My eyes glowed golden, and, as they did, as my transformation completed, a crown of gold enclosed my hairline and part of my forehead, a crown with the Greek letters D and H. Huntor's head was enclosed with a similar crown, with the same letters. My forearms changed from obsidian black to gold, as did my breastplate, as did the scales, as did my talons, as did my boots. "We are the Draghi Del Sole, we will combat the darkness, we, will, bring light to the dark, and, end the Dark Queen, once, and, for, all." Zavala roared beside us, roared her approval. "NOO." Dargonue shouted. He raised his arms and brought them down. I looked at Huntor, "Shall we?" I asked. "We shall." He answered. We faced them, and, charged. Fast, my body was faster than before, and more agile. Dargonue stomped, and lava churned, wafting around him like liquid mud. I ran through it, the lava having no effect on me. By my side, Huntor ran through it too, his body glittering as if coated in Ragni silk. "IMPOSSIBLE." The queen shouted. Huntor slammed into her, and they went sprawling. I slammed my foot into the ground, and lava swirled around my body, and crashed into Dargonue. He screamed, and was sent flying. I waved my hands, and the lava vanished, the ground returned to it's original state. "No." Dargonue whispered. "No no no." I brought out two long black swords, swords made from obsidian stone. Long black chains erupted from the ground and wrapped around Dargonue's wrists, ankles, waist, and neck. He choked and tried to yank away. I felt his will, his will try to fight mine. I felt him struggle to regain dominance. That's all this was, the only reason he won, the only reason he could claim indigo lives, was because I never was strong enough in the mind, never believed I had the strength, the, control, the, dominance, to fight him, to fight the false kingg of the keepers, the king of the earthen dracons. I never believed I had the power, strength, nor control to face him. But now, now, now; now I'dd destroy him, destroy him, destroy him, for every indigo lost, for my sisters, for Reina and Veronica, Veronica, lost, died protecting Huntor and I, Reina, who I never made peace with. I would, would, would, destroy, him. Huntor gave me a nod, as if he knew, of course, he, knew. He felt it, felt my rage, my desire. "Dargonue." My voice wasn't just my voice. I spoke with five thousand years of power, with five thousand years of knowledge, with five thousand years of Molten dracon lords and ladies. "You and your greed have devistated the balance of this world and others, you have upset the roles that were forged by the dragons long ago. You have razed creatures in your quest for power, and now, YOU SHALL PAY THE ULTIMATE PRICE." I shouted those last words, and fear covered Dargonue like a shadow. I surged forward, running as fast as this new body would allow. Lava sparked around me like stars. I stopped above him, and raised my swords. I roared, and, brought, them, down.
    Dargonue's head rolled aside, but I wasn't done. I stabbed one sword into his head, dicing it in two. Then, caving open his chest, ripping his heart right out. I slashed over and over, letting the song of justice take over, the song that sang for me to kill kill kill, kill the one who ruined creatures for gain, who murdered innocence for pleasure. Shadows swirled, and Kitana stepped out, her purple armor bloodied, but those eyes, hidden behind her mask, those eyes seemed to glow, and tell me, "Enough, it's, enough." I shook my head. I slashed one final time. Right down the middle, dicing him through the dotted line, so to speak. Then, Kitana stepped forward, a whip of darkness lashing out. She seemed to grip something in her hands, in those gloved hands, and, she squeezed them together, claws digging in. There was a near silent scream, and a sigh of relief. "He's gone now." She said. "For good." I turned to Huntor, who was still facing off with the queen. "IT'S OVER." He shouted, dancing away from another ice shard. "Dargonue is dead, your army is falling, and you have no power against us." I felt Huntor, and turned toward Kitana, but she was already gone, shadows fading. I shifted my foot forward, and the Earth, swallowed me. I rose from the ground by Huntor's side, and he grasped my hand. I dug, dug for that ancient, deep, intense, incandescent power, that power Huntor and i were blessed with, that power that made us Draghi Del Sole, that power that made us the light. "We, are, the, Draghi, Del, Sole, we, will, light, the, dark." By now, every dracon surrounded us, the battle over, the Snow Queen standing alone once more. Her sapphire eyes filled with fear, her wings out, tail lashing. "WE, ARE, THE, LIGHT." We shouted, and, power, exploded from us. Light exploded, powerful light, blue, red, gold, yellow, green, purple, pink, every light, along with that eighth light that eighth undefinable light. We began to rise, to float up, up, up, up, up into the skies, up above the castle, the castle that faced North, North to the Talons and Spines, to the Dragon Breath Falls, to the edge of the indigo mainland. We rose and rose, glowing brighter and brighter, powers coalescing around us, as if we were the sun, as if we were the sun, made a new. We threw back our heads and roared. Power exploded from us, and, as if hitting a forcefield, it hit the sky, and burst into a blinding rainbow of colors that shimmered and danced in the most beautiful of ways, an incandescent powerful light. Then, the light faded until they were eight glowing lights, eight glowing lights in eight rows, eternally dancing and shifting together in an eternal dance. In the very center of the shifting dancing lights, a golden orb glowed, with the Greek letters in their center, δ, ή. The Snow Queen stared up, stared, at, us, and what we created. We floated down on a gentle phantom wind, and were gently settled on the grounds. The lights danced endlessly, like the Northern lights of the North Pole. I knew, somehow, that they'd glow for thousands of miles, that everywhere, everyone could see the lights, and knew, we made them, that we'd created them. "Tell your Dark Queen," We said, said with five thousand years of power, with five thousand years of lords and ladies, with five thousand years of kings and queens in our bodies. "Tell your Dark Queen, we, will, liberate every plain, every territory, every, home, from her darkness, we, will, arm the indigo world, arm every indigo with the power of the Draghi Del Sole." The Snow Queen didn't even say anything, she just turned and fled, her wings flapping hard for the darkness in the south.